Update: 2005-06-26 First try on Laila
Peak: Last Thursday I and Jörgen started our push for the summit of Laila
Peak. We climbed up to our camp at 5000 meters. After a dinner with freeze
dried chicken curry we got a few hours of sleep. 2.30 in the morning, with a
clear sky and almost full moon, we left our tent and started climbing. Seven
hours later, only a hundred meters off the summit, we found the conditions too
icy. It was not possible to ski in those conditions so we turned around. We
put on our skis and as first ever we skied the steep north-west face of Laila
Peak. It was 1500 vertical meters of 45 degrees snow face down to the
Gondogoro Glacier. Even though the conditions where terrible this must count
as one of my most interesting and exciting ski runs. The weather forecast
looks good for the next few days so we will go for another try to reach the
summit of Laila Peak before we head off to Gasherbrum. Fredrik

Background: The
Karakorams in Pakistan contains some of the most spectacular mountains in the
world. Here you’ll find Laila Peak (6614 m), which is said to be the most
beautiful mountain in Asia. No one has ever skied that mountain. Fredrik
Ericsson and Jörgen Aamot are, this summer, taking on that challenge, as the
first in the world they will try to ski descend the steep slopes of Laila
Peak.

That’s not
all, after Laila Peak they will continue up the Baltoro Valley to make an
attempt to ski descend an unskied line on Gasherbrum 2 (8035 m), the 13th
highest mountain in the world.

Fredrik
Ericsson is a skier and mountaineer that’s spending most of his time in the
mountains around Chamonix, France. He has gained a position as one of the top
ski mountaineers in the world after ski descents of Shisha Pangma (8013 m) in
Tibet and Peak Somoni (7495 m) in Tajikistan. Fredrik has also first ski
descents in Sarek National Park, Spitsbergen and the Hurrungane mountains in
Norway. This year he’s looking forward to ski his second 8000-meters peak.

Jörgen
Aamot grew up in the mountains of Oppdal, Norway. He’s teaching skiing,
climbing and avalanche awareness at the Hallingdal College in Gol, Norway.
During the last few years he’s gathered multiple first ski descents throughout
Norway for example in the Lyngen Alps, Hurrungane and Sunndalen Alps. This
will be his first encounter with the high mountains of Karakoram.

The
Expedition: On June 8, Fredrik and Jörgen will fly to Islamabad in Pakistan.
After a few days of sorting out permits and general preparations they will
continue up north to the Karakoram Mountains. First they will travel with
jeeps via Skardu to Hushe and from there continue on foot. Porters will help
out carrying gear up to Laila Peak Base Camp which they will reach after 7
days. Thereafter they will use a couple of weeks for acclimatisation and
climbing to make it up to the top of Laila Peak, 6614 meters. That’s when the
big adventures start. Fredrik and Jörgen will try to ski the steep west face
of Laila Peak, something that’s never been done before.

After
Laila Peak they will continue up the Baltoro Valley via Gondogoro pass and
Concordia to the Gasherbrum glacier where the Gasherbrum Base Camp is situated
at 5200 meters. During the next few weeks they will try to climb Gasherbrum 2
(8035 m) which is the 13th highest peak in the world. Well on the summit
Fredrik and Jörgen will try to ski descend the mountain via an unskied line.

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